First the good news. We survived Belgrade. We weren't certain of this after our first look around as we rode into the city. It was decaying. Destroyed. Dilapidated. Debilitated. It was even descriptors that don't begin with D.
Seriously, this place looked like every movie ever where they show a post apocalyptic future. The train station had lovely squat toilets and all (which I had to use) (with diarrhea) (try not to think about that).
Our hostel actually wasn't bad. It was in a less, let's say worn, part of town. And in the center, they even had some new, gleaming buildings and a nice pedestrian walk where it seemed every single young person in the city gathered at night. I've never seen a group of young people so obviously dedicated to their appearances. There were more fake tans, short shorts, wife beaters and steroid users there than on Jersey Shore.
We arrived fairly late and were going to leave early the next morning but we decided to stay for the next day and catch a private mini-bus to Budapest that night (we would regret our choice of transportation).
Our time in Belgrade was interesting. The best site was the Tesla Museum. I'd never had 50000 volts pass through me before. You know it's a good museum when they ask anyone with a pacemaker to leave so that they won't die. The other sites were blah but the people were friendly and of course everything was extremely cheap. I enjoyed it quite a bit, if nothing else as a contrast to many of the other places we're visiting.
Unfortunately, getting out turned out to be a headache. The private bus that picked us up was an hour late, then wasted another hour making us change vans before we finally left. We were supposed to arrive in Budapest around 2am. We got there are 5:30am exhausted, frustrated and angry. (note: we were angry because even though we were already very late, our driver stopped for 2 20 minute smoke breaks. This did not sit well with the non-smoking passengers)
In any case, we arrived at sunrise, checked in and collapsed. Got up around 1pm and yet we were ready to sleep by 11pm that evening. We did a little walking around on this short day but there wasn't time for too much. The next morning was when the trouble started.
I woke up with my stomach feeling off and it got worse from there. I'll spare you the details but basically, I was in bed for most of that day and the next 2 days also. Vicky was an angel, getting food and medicine for me and just being there to comfort me. She didn't even really go sightseeing until I was able to move around on my own.
Fortunately I seem to be coming out of that. My full strength isn't back but maybe after another good nights sleep it will be. And it would certainly be good timing if it was, since tomorrow we head for Vienna. I can't wait!
As a final note, please pray that Vicky and I don't get sick again on this trip. It was miserable being sick abroad in a hotel and I don't want either of us to repeat it. So your prayers would be greatly appreciated.
Seriously, this place looked like every movie ever where they show a post apocalyptic future. The train station had lovely squat toilets and all (which I had to use) (with diarrhea) (try not to think about that).
Our hostel actually wasn't bad. It was in a less, let's say worn, part of town. And in the center, they even had some new, gleaming buildings and a nice pedestrian walk where it seemed every single young person in the city gathered at night. I've never seen a group of young people so obviously dedicated to their appearances. There were more fake tans, short shorts, wife beaters and steroid users there than on Jersey Shore.
We arrived fairly late and were going to leave early the next morning but we decided to stay for the next day and catch a private mini-bus to Budapest that night (we would regret our choice of transportation).
Our time in Belgrade was interesting. The best site was the Tesla Museum. I'd never had 50000 volts pass through me before. You know it's a good museum when they ask anyone with a pacemaker to leave so that they won't die. The other sites were blah but the people were friendly and of course everything was extremely cheap. I enjoyed it quite a bit, if nothing else as a contrast to many of the other places we're visiting.
Unfortunately, getting out turned out to be a headache. The private bus that picked us up was an hour late, then wasted another hour making us change vans before we finally left. We were supposed to arrive in Budapest around 2am. We got there are 5:30am exhausted, frustrated and angry. (note: we were angry because even though we were already very late, our driver stopped for 2 20 minute smoke breaks. This did not sit well with the non-smoking passengers)
In any case, we arrived at sunrise, checked in and collapsed. Got up around 1pm and yet we were ready to sleep by 11pm that evening. We did a little walking around on this short day but there wasn't time for too much. The next morning was when the trouble started.
I woke up with my stomach feeling off and it got worse from there. I'll spare you the details but basically, I was in bed for most of that day and the next 2 days also. Vicky was an angel, getting food and medicine for me and just being there to comfort me. She didn't even really go sightseeing until I was able to move around on my own.
Fortunately I seem to be coming out of that. My full strength isn't back but maybe after another good nights sleep it will be. And it would certainly be good timing if it was, since tomorrow we head for Vienna. I can't wait!
As a final note, please pray that Vicky and I don't get sick again on this trip. It was miserable being sick abroad in a hotel and I don't want either of us to repeat it. So your prayers would be greatly appreciated.
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